Malnutrition has become pervasive in Gaza as the assault intensifies and aid deliveries have slowed to a trickle. The UN has issued a warning of an impending famine
After declaring that its forces had seized control of a buffer zone along the border between the Palestinian territory and Egypt the previous day, Israel continued its offensive on Rafah on Thursday (May 30), thereby establishing effective authority over Gaza’s entire land frontier. It asserted that the buffer zone’s seizure had obstructed a pathway that Hamas used to transport weapons into Gaza.
An Israeli air strike resulted in the deaths of 12 Palestinians as they attempted to retrieve the body of a civilian in the centre of Rafah, according to Gaza medical sources. In other regions of the coastal enclave, there was ongoing combat, according to officials. An airstrike hit the Shati refugee camp, which is located in the northern region of the densely populated enclave, west of Gaza City, in which a Palestinian died.
In a statement, Palestinian telecommunications company Jawwal stated that communication services were disrupted in Rafah “as a result of the ongoing aggression”. On Tuesday (May 28), the US, Israel’s most steadfast ally, repeated its opposition to a major ground offensive in Rafah. However, it denied that such an operation was currently underway.
Even though the attack on Rafah caused outrage around the world and many threats from aid groups and the UN about how it would affect people, Israel has promised to keep going. Malnutrition has become pervasive in Gaza as the assault intensifies and aid deliveries have slowed to a trickle. The UN has issued a warning of an impending famine.
HAMAS HARDENS STANCE
According to Hamas, it has notified mediators that it will not participate in any indirect conversations while the aggression continues, but that it is willing to reach a “complete agreement” involving the handover of hostages and prisoners if Israel ends its war on Gaza.
Key mediators Qatar, Egypt and the US have repeatedly postponed talks to establish a truce between Israel and the Palestinian organisation that rules Gaza, with both parties blaming each other for the lack of progress. On Thursday (May 30), Hamas issued a statement in response to Israel’s continued offensive on Rafah, in southern Gaza, despite an order from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest court of the United Nations, to cease its operations.
Hamas asserted that it demonstrated flexibility during negotiations and had approached each previous round of negotiations with a “positive” attitude, including the most recent, in which it consented to a pact aided by a mediator on May 6, soon after Israel launched a ground offensive in Rafah.
The Palestinian organization said that, in the light of the aggression, siege, starvation and genocide of their people, Hamas and the Palestinian factions would not accept being a part of this policy by continuing (ceasefire) negotiations. It said it was prepared to negotiate an all-encompassing exchange deal if the occupying Israeli forces ended its aggression and war against the people in Gaza.
Significant issues arose during previous negotiations. Hamas has consistently declared that it will not consent to an agreement that does not ensure a permanent ceasefire, the unimpeded return of displaced families to their homes, and Israel’s total withdrawal from Gaza.
Israel has declared its intention to overthrow Hamas in Gaza and rejected its previous demands as “unacceptable”. It asserts that the primary objective of its Rafah offensive is to rescue hostages and eliminate Hamas combatants from the city.
BACKDROP TO THE CRISIS
On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants had launched an attack on southern Israel, resulting in the capture of over 240 individuals and the death of at least 1,139 others. According to health officials, Israel subsequently initiated its assault on Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 36,000 Palestinians. The conflict has resulted in the displacement of the overwhelming majority of residents and the reduction of a significant portion of the Palestinian territory to rubble, reports Al Jazeera.
A preliminary round of negotiations between Israel and Hamas in November 2023 had resulted in the exchange of approximately 100 detainees for Palestinians interned in Israeli jails. However, discussions have been primarily stagnant since that time.
Al Jazeera’s coverage from Deir el-Balah presents a grim scenario for Palestinians, who find themselves with diminishing hope. The report from Al-Aqsa Hospital paints a distressing picture. Added to the ordeal of being displaced multiple times, seven or eight since the war’s onset, while trying to protect your children from constant air strikes, their struggles to provide essential needs like food and water continue. The Gaza Strip has been devoid of medical supplies for the past three weeks and the healthcare system is in a state of collapse, reports Al Jazeera.
(The author of this article is a Defence, Aerospace & Political Analyst based in Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. You can reach him at: girishlinganna@gmail.com)
(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own and do not reflect those of DNA)
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